Cosmetic case



Nov. 7, 1944. J. DE SWART 2,362,120

COSMETIC CASE Filed Jan. 31, 1944 Patented Nov. 7, 1944 umrso STATE 1PATENT OFFICE cosua'rrc case Jan de Swart, Los Angeles, Calm, alsignoro! coral-halt to O. Bland Jamison, Beverly Hills,

3 Claims.

This invention relates to containers and has more particularly to dowith cosmetic cases such tents from undue exposure to atmosphere when.

closed.

My invention possesses still further advantages and how those as well asthe objects and advantages hereinabove pointed out are attained will bebest understood from the following description of a presently preferredembodiment, for which purpose I shall refer to the accompanying drawing,in which:

Fig. 1 is a perspective showing the case in open position;

Fig. 2 is a medial cross section showing the case in open position;

Fig. 3 is a front elevation showing the case partially closed; and

, Fig. 4 is a front elevation showing the case closed.

In the drawing, my container is shown as consisting of a base element 5and a lid element 6, of round plan and hingedly connected together by ahinge member I to be swingable relative to each other.

For releasably latching or holding together the base and lid elements, Iprovide on the peripheral edge of each, at a point opposite the hinge, alug It, the interengaging end portions ll of the lugs being beveled fromboth top and bottom to present a somewhat v point. When in the closedposition the end I I of the lug carried by the lid slightly underliesthe end ll of the other lug. This very slight interengagement of thelugs is rendered sufllcient by the construction presently to bedescribed. Moreover,

the lugs may be of substantially strong section and therefore extremelydurable in that it is not essential that they flex during opening andclosing as will hereinafter appear.

The lid interior is provided with a circular recess l5 within which amirror It is mounted and retained by flange II.

The base 5 has a circular recess 20 suitable for holding cosmetics orthe like, the base presenting a circular flange 22 which is adapted tofit rather snugly in the recess l5 when the case is closed. The sidewall of the recess 15 flares outwardly and the outer surface of theflange 22 is beveled to conform to and wedge against the side wall ofthe recess, so that when the device is fully closed the flange becomeswedged in the recess l5 and thus it is by such cooperation of the flangeand recess side wall that the latch lugs are retained in latchingposition despite the very slight interengagement. However, the flange 22is sufilciently thin and resilient to permit the lugs to be movedlongitudinally apart sufflciently to swing the lid' relative to the basefor enough that the relatively larger diameter portion of the recessside wall encompasses the relatively smaller diameter portion or theflange 22 to permit the lugs to be further moved longitudinally awayfrom each other to be completely engaged, without, however, preventingany undue stress on the hinge.

The construction which I have described is particularly adaptable forcases made of plastics, particularly the more brittle plastics, becausein conventional cases made of relatively brittle plastics, ii the latchlugs are made of strong enough section to be sufflciently durable towithstand hard usage, their engagement and disengagement places such astress on the hinge as to 30 cause breakage and warping.

While, in the foregoing, I have resorted to considerable detail ofstructure and association of parts in describing a particular example ofmy invention, I wish it to be understood that I have done so merely tomake my invention understood and that I do not limit my invention tosuch details. On the contrary, my invention is only to be limited asappears in the appended claims.

I claim:

1. In 'a case of the class described, a base element and a lid element,means hingedly connecting together the peripheral edges of the elementsfor swinging movement relative to each other, a recess in the innersurface of one of the elements presenting a circular side wall, acircular flange carried by the other element and adapted to fit in therecess and circumferentially engage the side wall thereof, and means foryieldably latching the elements together at a point opposite the hinge,including a pair of radially disposed peripheral lugs carried one byeach of the respective elements, each of said lugs having an end portioninterengageable with the other lug.

2. In a case of the class described, a base element and a lid element,means hingedly connecting together the peripheral edges of the elementsfo swinging movement relative to each other, an outwardly flared recessin the inner surface of one of the elements presenting a circular sidewall, a circular flange carried by the other element and adapted to fitin the recess and circumferentially engage the side wall thereof, saidflange having an outer surface beveled to conform to and engage therecess side wall' with a wedge fit, and means for yieldably latching theelements together at a point opposite the hinge, including a pair ofradially disposed peripheral lugs carried one by each of the respectiveelements, each of said lugs having an end portion interengageable withthe other lug.

3. In a case of the class described, a base element and a lid element,means hingedly connecting together the peripheral edges oi the elementsfor swinging movement relative to each other, an outwardly flared recessin the inner surface of one of the elements presenting a circular sidewall, a resilient circular flange carried by the other element andadapted to fit in the recess and circumterentially engage the side wallthereof, said flange having an outer surface beveled to conform to andengage the recess side wall with a wedge flt, and means for yieldablylatching the elements together at a point opposite the hinge, includinga pair of radially disposed interengaging peripheral lugs on therespective elements at a point opposite the hinge, one of the lugshaving an end portion underlying the -adjacent end portion of the otherlug, when the case is in closed position, to an extent whereby to becompletely disengageable therefrom only afte the larger diameter portionof the recess side wall of the lid element has been moved into positionencircling the smaller diameter portion of the flange of the baseelement.

JAN de SWART.

